Are Virtual School Graduates College and Career Ready? Evidence from a Comparative Survey.

Abstract

While several studies have evaluated virtual charter schools in terms of their impact on student achievement, there is scant literature that explores how virtual charters prepare students for later in life outcomes, including college and career readiness. Such questions take on increased importance in the wake of a nascent but growing literature that finds sizable disconnects in school choice programs between achievement and later in life outcomes.

To assess the degree to which virtual schools prepare students for postsecondary and career success, I administer a survey to young adults (ages 18-29) who graduated from virtual charters managed by Stride K12, the largest education management organization in the United States. I also partner with a market research firm to administer the same study to a nationally representative group of American adults ages 18-29. Survey questions assess four constructs related to postsecondary outcomes (college-going culture, postsecondary support, academic behaviors, and communication) and three related to career outcomes (advising, self-concept, and soft skills ). Overall, virtual charter graduates report statistically significant advantages when it comes to the career constructs and two of the postsecondary constructs (academic behaviors and communication), but statistically significant disadvantages when it comes to college-going culture and postsecondary support. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Keywords: virtual schools, college and career readiness, school choice